Windsor’s rookie MPP Lisa Gretzky (NDP – Windsor West) says she came away disappointed Monday, when she sought assurances from the health minister that Windsor will get it’s new mega hospital without delay.

“It’s clear there isn’t a commitment,” the newly elected New Democrat told The Star after asking her first Question Period question and receiving an answer from Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, who is just weeks into his new role following the June election that resulted in a Liberal majority.

“Will the Minister commit to delivering funding for the new Windsor hospital, or is he planning to delay a project that our community desperately needs?” asked Gretzky, whose main opponent in the election, incumbent Liberal cabinet minister Teresa Piruzza, made delivery of the new hospital one of her main campaign promises.

“The people of Windsor need a firm commitment from this government that a new hospital will be fully supported by the provincial government — and delivered without any delay,” Gretzky stated.

Hoskins answered that the government has provided $2.5 million for preliminary planning for the “scope and governance for a proposed new acute-care hospital in Windsor,” which would replace the Ouellette and Met sites currently operated by Windsor Regional Hospital.

“I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that Windsor Regional Hospital, as well as Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and community partners are all currently working together with the Erie St. Clair LHIN and developing that important Stage 1 proposal,” Hoskins said. “Planning our health-care future is a collaborative process. We’re very eager to hear that important feedback from the Windsor community.”

When Gretzky asked how much money the government will provide to deliver the Windsor hospital on time, Hoskin answered that “we shouldn’t make decisions without having that important community input and that’s precisely what this planning proposal is set up to do.”

Gretzky told The Star that while the government has committed $2.5 million towards preliminary planning of a new acute hospital, “there’s not necessarily a commitment to follow through, and I think it’s important for people in the community to understand that.”

The response from Hoskins is what Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj said he would expect at this stage of the process, one that will take seven to 10 years if things go smoothly. The first stage involves preliminary plans about what services the new hospital will have, and where it will be located.

A recently formed site selection committee held its first meeting about two weeks ago and next week will probably send out a request for proposals from landowners who believe they have a good location for the new hospital.

Stage 1 should be completed within seven months.

“Really, where the rubber hits the road is about seven months from now,” said Musyj. “What (Hoskins) says as minister of health when we submit the final Stage 1 and ask to move to Stage 2, that’s when his comments will be critical.”

The government has said there’s $35 million waiting once the hospital project moves to Stage 2, but that will require the minister’s approval, Musyj said. Stage 2 is when specific plans and drawings are completed. “When you go to Stage 2, you are going be breaking ground, it’s just a matter of when.”

Musyj said he appreciates Gretzky raising the issue. “It’s good to keep it first and foremost in the mind of the government of the day.”

The new state-of-the-art hospital is expected to cost $1.3 billion to 1.5 billion, but it’s cheaper than an earlier plan to rebuild the Met site and extensively renovate the Ouellette site — at a total cost of about $2 billion. Doing nothing is “not an option,” according to Musyj.

Hoskins invited Gretzky to a briefing by Ministry of Health staff to bring her up to speed on the issue. Gretzky said she’ll take him up on the offer, as will fellow Windsor MPP Percy Hatfield (NDP — Windsor-Tecumseh), but she hopes it will be a two-way conversation where she can convey the health-care concerns of residents.

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